Poems & Poets

This poem is authored by Fakhr-od-Din 'Eraqi (Persian: فخرالدین ابراهیم عراقی‎; 10 June 1213 – 1289). 'Eraqi was a Sufi master and renowned poet. He was born near Arak in Persia in 1213. During his lifetime he spent many years in Multan, as well as in Tokat and Konya, where he also met Mawlana. 'Eraqi's work mirrors the imagery of romantic poetry as he cleverly manipulates the lack of gendered third-person pronouns in the Persian language. He writes about transcendent or 'real' love ('eshq-e-haqīqi), mystical doctrines and spiritual gnosis, using the language of 'figurative love' ('eshq-e-mejāzi). ‘Eraqi is considered to have reached an exalted station of spiritual realisation and appears to be linked to the selseleh (authoritative spiritual lineage) of the Suhravardi Sufi order.

This ghazal is a love-poem dedicated to a Saqi. Saqi translates to 'bartender', 'wine-pourer' or 'cup-bearer', which in Persian poetry often refers to a spiritual guide who has attained exalted stations of spiritual realisation and gnosis. 'Eraqi speaks about this guide, who is passing his wisdom to his disciples through a 'wine-jug', pouring sacred knowledge into their 'cups'. 'Eraqi is praising his pīr, and explains of the way in which he paves the way for gnosis to whomever abandons the things that they thought they knew and grabs onto his rope (his 'hair braid').

Reference: ‘Eraqi – Divan-e-Ash’ar – Ghazal 14.